Hey-Ho, to Mars We'll Go, by Susan Lendroth, ‎illustrated by Bob Kolar

It may not be in my lifetime, but I would bet that some people living today will see a manned mission to Mars.  Susan Lendroth embraces that dream, and shares it with today's toddler set in Hey-Ho, to Mars We'll Go! A Space-Age Version of "The Farmer in the Dell."  Combining portions of sing-songy rhyming lines with more in-depth content, Lendroth speaks to a couple different sets of kids at once, on a couple different levels.

For example, she writes:

Can you catch my sock?
Can you catch my sock?
Hey-ho, to Mars we'll go--
Can you catch my sock?

The accompanying illustrations show the astronauts floating around the cabin, and the text describes life in zero-gravity, where everything not secured "will drift like dandelion fluff."  Incidentally, the pages are printed in a variety of orientations, giving the full effect of not knowing which way is up!

Bob Kolar's illustrations are certainly on the little-kid level, yet he manages to include details that make the book believable, anticipating some of the actual equipment and requirements of a Mars mission.

Lendroth and Kolar make a great team.  Your toddler to elementary-age child will be enthused and inspired by Hey-Ho, to Mars We'll Go.  Maybe someone reading this book today will be on that first mission to Mars.


Thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for the complimentary electronic review copy!